June 29, 2005

Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep will star in an adaptation of chick lit bestseller The Devil Wears Prada, a roman a clef based on the author's experience as an assistant to notorious Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour. (Hathaway will also co-star with Heath Ledger and Jake Gyllenhaal in Ang Lee's much anticipated Brokeback Mountain.)

June 28, 2005

Since I moved to San Francisco three months ago, Amy and I have sorely missed our weeklymovienights. Last week I was in LA for a couple days and we indulged in not one, but two, Gerard Depardieu costume dramas, Vatel and Bon Voyage. Vatel, literally a visual feast, was by far our favorite of the two, with Depardieu portraying the title character, a Louis XIV-era steward with the resources of Martha Stewart and the cachet of Farnsworth Bentley. Vatel's client is an impoverished prince hoping to impress his guests, Louis XIV and entourage, with all the pageantry and pleasure his signature--if not his coffer--can afford. Uma Thurman plays the object of Vatel's adoration. The fuzzy plot and lukewarm chemistry are left in the dust by the gorgeous displays of Vatel's skill. Whether going behind-the-scenes at Vatel's fireworks spectacle or following him as he works his way through the vast kitchen, here blowing a vase made of sugar, there inventing a new dessert, the camera catches every fascinating historical detail. Bon Voyage, on the other hand, was a snoozer and barely made any impression worth sharing here. --Kim

June 27, 2005

I saw the L.A. version of the Amy-and-David-Sedaris-penned play, "The Book of Liz" over the weekend and was thoroughly disappointed. Neither I nor the rest of the audience laughed much throughout the entire production. In fact, I can't believe the comic genius behind "Naked," "Me Talk Pretty One Day" and "Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim" was responsible for my colossal waste of $25. Sure, it has a quirky premise: A profuse sweater in a Squeamish (re: Amish) community earns her keep producing cheeseballs (both traditional and smokey flavor), which the community sells to the outside world. Sounds promisingly hilarious, yes? Unfortunately, the play itself doesn't really deliver on the offbeat idea. I'm the type of person who shakes with laughter reading David Sedaris's books, and while I'm still holding onto hope for a movie version of this insane family's life, I humbly suggest that you skip "The Book of Liz." -- Amy

June 13, 2005

During our recent trip to New York (to celebrate the launch of my new book) Kim and I popped in for afternoon tea at teany, the vegan tea room owned by Moby and his ex-girlfriend.

For a mere $14 each, we were treated to an ample array of delicious sandwiches, scones and petit fours. While I'm not usually gung-ho on vegan cuisine, the food was excellent, including sandwiches of chedder and pickle, avocado and cream cheese and tomato pesto. Despite the 90-degree temperatures outside, we opted for hot tea and were not disappointed. I liked Kim's Earl Grey Cream tea so much I bought a container to take home.

It was more food than we could eat and we enjoyed the cheerful-yet-hipster-like setting in the lower East Side. If you're in Manhattan, check out this alternative to the city's more expensive high tea options. -- Amy

June 7, 2005

By the way, if I were a poet, I'd be William Blake...."Tiger, tiger, burning bright"....You are William Blake! Wow. I'm impressed. Notonly are you a self-made artist and poet, butyou've suddenly become a very trendy guy tolike. It's not that we doubt that you have allyour marbles, it's just that we're not quitesure what you did with them to come up withthose terrifying theological visions. Thepeople of your time were nowhere near asforgiving as that, and all your neighborsthought you were a grade-A nut job. But welove you, so rest happy.

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From Horatio Hornblower's tricorn hat to Darcy's dip in the lake at Pemberley, Romancing the Tome is an extension of our obsession with the literary adaptation. Bookmark us for reviews, rants, and the latest industry news and gossip.

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The Twisted Lit Novels

From Merit Press: The first two books in a series of Shakespeare-inspired YA fiction by Kim Askew and Amy Helmes. Find out more about Exposure, a contemporary revamp of Macbeth and Tempestuous, a teen take on The Tempest.